Great teams don’t happen by accident. They are built with intention. In this episode of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Wendy Loewen is joined by Daniel Anthony Doerksen and Chris Downey, authors of You Can Manage: A Practical Guide to Becoming the Manager Everybody Wants, to explore what it takes to move a group of individuals into a high-performing team. From the classic stages of team development to practical tools for creating alignment, clarity, and community, this conversation unpacks why so many teams get stuck and what leaders can do to help them move forward. Whether you’re leading a new team or navigating change within an established one, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to help your team thrive. Read More

What does it really mean to invest in people as a manager? In this episode of The Manager’s Field Guide, Wendy Lowen sits down with Daniel Anthony Doerksen and Chris Downey, co-authors of You Can Manage: A Practical Guide to Becoming the Manager Everybody Wants, to explore the second essential of effective management: investing in people.   Many managers are promoted because they excel at the work itself. Yet success in management depends just as much on building strong relationships, creating trust, and helping people grow. Dan and Chris unpack why the “people stuff” is not a distraction from the work but a fundamental part of it.   Ready to make your workplace somewhere people actually want to be? … Read More

In episode 2 of The Manager’s Field Guide, Wendy Loewen continues the conversation with Daniel Anthony Doerksen and Chris Downey as they continue their series on You Can Manage: A Practical Guide to Becoming the Manager Everyone Wants, focusing on Essential 1: “Start with You”. They discuss how strongly managers shape people’s workplace experience, citing research that 70% of engagement variance links to the direct manager and that a direct manager influences mental health and wellbeing as much as a spouse. The conversation emphasizes grounding management in “ways of being” before “ways of doing,” clarifying personal purpose and values,… Read More